More facts, less friction: Body-worn cameras for insight-driven police solutions

Overview

Body-worn cameras are more than just another device in the wearable technologies revolution. These devices—worn on helmets, jackets and lapels—have the potential to be a powerful means of protecting both the citizen and the officer and delivering public service for the future through digital law enforcement.

Detailed and unbiased evidence collection, greater accountability for officers and more transparency of police/citizen interactions are just some of the benefits of these police solutions.

Hear from Police leaders including Charlie Beck, Chief of Police, LAPD and Noirin O’Sullivan, Commissioner, An Garda Siochana as they discuss the use of Body Worn Cameras and the benefits for both officers and the communities they serve.

In this short video members of Accenture Police Services team share perspectives on the use of Body Worn cameras as a crime fighting solution.

Background

Body-worn cameras have the potential to support the gathering of evidence as police conduct day-to-day operations, and they could help create a true record of events—evidence that could later be used for criminal prosecution. They also can help deliver additional insight, especially when the data captured through body-worn cameras is combined with video analytics to transform raw information into valuable intelligence.

Adoption of body-worn cameras is likely to increase as law enforcement agencies start to see the positive results coming from pilot programs spanning the globe from New York to London to Sydney. What’s more, there may be new funding to back these programs. President Obama has also proposed a three-year, $263 million spending package to fund 50,000 body-worn cameras.

Analysis

As law enforcement agencies begin to explore body-worn cameras as next-generation police solutions, important questions arise: where do you store these huge volumes of data, and for how long? How can we address citizen concerns over privacy? When and in what circumstances, should the cameras be on and recording and switched off? What protocols and policies should be in place to ensure that officers can easily access the footage to support their daily work, such as writing police statements?

RecommendationsBody-worn cameras have the potential to help law enforcement agencies protect their reputations and fight crime. Rather than just acquiring body-worn cameras for evidence police can turn them into tools to deliver insight, intelligence and improve operational effectiveness. And with the proper procedures and policies in place, these police solutions can deliver tremendous benefit without a significant financial or storage burden.